Automatic clutch throw-out for tractors



E. M. HEYLMAN, DECD. cmzEN's TRUST & SAVINGS BANK,AD:-1|NISTRAT0H. AUTOMATIC CLUTCH THHW--UUT FOR TRACTORS.

APPLRCATIOH FILED JAN. 29'1919. t

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`2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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E. TVI. HEYLIVIAN, DECD.

cITIzEN's TRUST I sAvINGs BANK, ADMINISTRATOR.

AUTOMATIC CLUTCH THROW-OUT- FOR TRACTORS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 29, IsIs.

1,378,954. Patented May 24, 192,1.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ia-ward /Z Hey/man vn-w70@ Bejitlenlewn that l, EDWARD M. HEYLMAN, igen ogfglfthe United Statesresiding at gend,v in' Nthe county ci St. Joseph g indiana, have invented certain ful Improvements, in Automatic row-Outs for Tractors, of which g1 isi;` a specification. ventigon-relates to an improvement #The I llyfingtractoiifclutch throw-outs, wherein pro- ;1 `avision: is fmadefgfor automatically throwing outlthe clutch in' the event the tractor, due to causes subsequently explained, proceeds toquln, over backward, and thus prevent 157.- possible-)injury tothe tractor as, well as the driverthereof,"aswell as the additional pro- -f visic'm.dorl ai like action in the event of an @overload onthe draw bar, whereby to preventfapossible, breaking strain on the implernent being drawn by the tractor.

- iThelinventiongenerally ccmprehends a me/ans;l'instantlyv responsive to Vshift the i; clutch .controlling the transmission of power 1 Airone'theI engine to the drive mechanism to f1srelease= position, upon a raising of the front ---.end;e`theitractor oil' of the ground to a prewdetermined; degree, and thus automatically preventingfl the isame from being turned over backwardcompletely.` Experience has cffshown thatv suchhappens `frequently with fcer-tain light weight tractors when the drive .fwheelsrar'e abloclred against movement, as

[f when snnkenfin a1 rut, and the driver appliesthe full power of the engine and shifts into ;glowageanpthus; causing the rear axle drive fr gearingtooperateto turn the tractor bodily backward onfthej axle.. The invention fun theri comprehends means automatically -reisponsive toexcessive draw bar strain to rel40 lease'the clutch, as when an implement drawn' by the tractor becomes lodged'against under surface obstacles, as tree roots and ,.stones, `whereby-the tractor is held against u-rther movementunder power oi" the engine, and a breaking strain, incident to a continuancejoqan excessive load strain on the-1v imp1ement,-.avoided. The means utillized-'in carrying-out-the .details of the in- L Cvention,4 is designed to permit the @hiver V to. regain :immediate control ot Ithe clutch .following suchl automatic release, so that the v-vtractormayy,be vreversed or continuedin 1 Amovement?.without irst relieving theload strainwhichinluenceathe clutch releasing y miroiterie environ '.rnncwwur v:a 'rnacrns? l' 'f r UNH@[Seitemeer Grace or BEND, runtime; crlrrznns 'rrtustviI et;

orsou'rn"L END;v iraniana ADMmrsTamron"vr .on sain jniiwhnnjmt Specication of Letters Patent. Patented May y24.," ll.

' Application filed January 29, 1919. Serial No. 273,318; i i "-l protector without interfering in any particular with the usual manual control.

The invention in the preferred form of details will be described lin the following speciiication, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichz-J- f 1 Figure l is a view in elevation, illustrating a tractor with the automatic throw-out. in position.A -f f Fig. 2. isga plan of the rear end ofthe tractor showing the throw-out details.

Fig; 3 is an elevation showing the'adjusting means for varying the line of draft of the draw bar. Y

Fig. 4: is an enlarged view in elevation of 75 the clutch lever and immediate actuating part-s therefor, thelong dash lines showing release the clutch lever, and the operation or movement of the parts manually operated 80 immediately succeeding the automaticv operation lto release the clutch, being shown in short dotted lines. v

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4, with the clutch lever `shown in section. v y, l I

Fig. 6 is a similar view in plan. L

`rEhe improved automatic throw-out ishere shown asvapplied to a tractor, designated generally as jl, and includes a draW-bar, 90 mounted in front and rear hangers 3 vand 4. A spring -5 is coiled about the draw-bari in advance of the forward hanger 3, which spring is tensioned to resistl compression-unn` der a load strain to a predetermined de ree, a further compression'under excessive; oad strain permitting a longitudinal movement of the drawfbar. Adapted to be attacheda. to the rear end of the draw-bar, is what I broadly term a hitch beam 6th`e particular 100 form of which is immaterial,7 and which may be a plow beam or otherv: art lofvan implement commonly employed or.. connection with the traction power. For the pur vposes of the present invention, saidhitch i beam is coupled to the drawdoar by means ci' a coupling 7, having a transverse slot 8 te receive the end of the draw-bar, `which 'laterally shifted for the purpose of parts have a coupling; pin 9 passing therethrough to effect a pivotal connection therebetween, the outer end of the, coupling;l 'i' having a vertical slot 10 to receive the end of a clevis or other connection, with a couplin'g pin 11 connecting said parts in. a manner to permit relative movement in a vertical plane between the beam and lthe tractor. The rear hanger 4 is provided with an elongated slot 12 through which the .draw-bar passes,` and which permits the latterto be varying the line of draft thereof with respect to the tractor. For the purpose of conveniently permitting the draw-bar to be so shifted, a lever 13 is provided as shown., which crumed at 14 to an extension of the bracket, and the lower end of which has connection with the draw-bar by means ofv a' rod 15 in a manner to permit pivotal movement between said parts and4 the rod. A spring pressed latch and notched sector of a common type are employed to maintain the desired adjustment of the lever.

Suitably andpreferably mounted upon the hanger `4, a/nd supported in a manner th permit its free end to swing in a vertical plane, is what may be termed a trip-bail 16, in order to distinguish same from a tripis fulthrough which space the pivot pin 26 passes, and which. lever 1s limited in its backward swing bv a stop 31 extending from the bracket 27. Mounted pfor pivotal movement on the pivot pin 2d and between the jaws?` 30 of the lever 29, is a rocker plate 32, having spaced edgewise extending,r ears lfcthe rocker plate being limited in its movement to the left with respect to the release lever v lease lever and the rocker plate, is to permit arm hereinafter noted. The free end of said trip-bail is adapted to overhang the hitch 'beam 6, and to be normally spaced therefrom at a predetermined distance', so that any excessive backward incline of the tractor, as by a backward turn thereof,will cause the trip-bail to be engaged by the `hitch beam 6 and swing the same upwardly, which movement in turn will influence means, presently explained, to move the clutch lever 17 to release position.

Suitalily fixed to and depending' from the clutch lever 17 is a curved arm 18, the end of which has a sliding connection with one end of aishift-bar 19, by means of an integrally formed and laterally extending pin 20 on saidlarm end passing through an elongated slot' 21 in the shift-bar, and held against disengagement by a cotter pin 22. Such sliding connection between said parts permits the clutch lever to be manually operated'in the usual manner withoutl interference/'by the means provided forautomatically operating thesame, as will be obvious.

The shift-bar 19 has connection with the short arm 23 of the angle lever 24 by means of' a drag link 25 pivotally connected in a suitable manner with said parts, the angle lever 24 beingl fulcrumed, as at 28, .on a bracket 27 suitably fixed to the tractor body. Pivotally mounted on the bracket 27 on the inner -side thereof, and preferably by the same pivot pin 26 which fulcrums the angle lever 24, is a release lever 29 formed at its lower end with spaced opposingjaws SO,

return of the rocker plate to normal position under the influence of a spring thus relieving said spring of the burden of retractingr the release lever in addition to its other functions, as will further on appear. The release lever is thus intended to be retracted manually. Connecting the upper ear 33 of the rocker plate withthe proximate end. ofthe shift-bar 19, is aI radius rod 36, pivotally connected with said parts in any suitable manner, the shift-bar having an integrally formed stop 37 to limit the movement of the radius rod with respect to said bar.

Suitably mounted upon the trip bail 16 is a curved arm 38, to the end of which is pivotally attached one end of a pull rod 39, the opposite end ofwhich passes through an eye 40 in the long armv 41 of the angle lever 24., an adjustable nut 42 screw-threaded upon the rodserving as a stop to engage and move the angle lever upon upward movement of the trip hail 16. Mounted upon the draw-bar 2 is a sleeve 43 adjustably secured thereto by a set screw 44, and from which sleeve projects a trip-arm 45 adapted to engage the angle lever in the movement of the draw-bar.

'lt will be apparent from the foregoinpr that, .either upon an excessive backward turn of the tractor, or considerable drop of the rear end thereof induced by the digging action of the traction wheels in soft .ground under excessive load, the trip-bail 16 will be raised by Contact with the hitch beam 6, which movement, through the connections noted, will impart a downward pull upon the rear end of the shift-barwhich Inovement at the same time result-s in the radius rod imparting an endwise shift to the shift-- bar, thus moving the clutch lever to release slightly below a line centering the points of connection of the radius rod with the rocker Levanta bar and the end of clutch leverarm with. the shift-bar, thus locking the parts against retraction. This is important for the reason that afrelease of the clutch lever immediately following a throw-out movement there of, with the engine runningfidle at great speed, and'happening beforethe transmission gear could beshifted to neutral position, might result in serious injury to the en-r 'gine orK the clutch.4 ln the movement of said parts to locked position, the spring 35, which is terminally connected 'with the shift-barand with the lower ear 33 ofthe rocker bar, is brought underinc'reased tension, and'` serves. to retract the parte in a manner as lwill presently appear. v

vIrrorder towpermit immed'ate control of: the. clutch by the driver following the re- `lea-Se thereof, and with the conditions still prevailing which resulted. in actuating the throw-outv mechanism, and which conditions would 4 prevent returnvr ofthe angle lever 24: to'normal position, and therefore the return i of-fthe remaining parts toa like position,

Without irst removing the cause which prevents return ofthe angle lever. Said means consistswof the' release lever .29 and the rocker plate4 32. With the angle lever 24C held inthe position indicated by-long dash lines asshown in Fig. l, which is the position thereof at the completion of the throwout, movement, the release lever is shifted forwardly, causing the rocker bar to be carried'with it to a point where the radius rod end .pivoted thereto is below the fulcrum point lof the angle lever, when the shift-bar isno longer restrained against endvvise retraction by theradiusrod because the rocker bar is free at that point' to continue its movement independent of the release lever. Immediately the rocker bar is shifted below vcenter the greater tension of the clutch retracting spring with respect to the spring 35 will cause the parts to shift to the positions indicated by the short dash lines, thus releasing the clutch lever for free control of the driver. After lhaving removed the conditions which prevented return movement of the angle lever, all parts are restored to normal position under the influence of the spring 35, with the exception of the release lever, which is manually returned to normal position, and the object of which is to lessen the work to be performed by said spring, so that the same may be of less strength than the clutch operating spring, for the purpose above pointed out.

Obviously, the throw-out mechanism will be actuated in the same manner as hereinabove pointed out by an overload strain on the draw-bar 2. Thus when the overload overcomes the predetermined resisting ton- 65 sion of the spring 5, the trip arm 45, by a means areprovidedfor releasing the parts tor, with. relation to thehitoh', Qpenatfngrtof.

eagle lei i aetnashifting of the draw-bai en ages he lever 24C, with the sameeiiecttoopera throw-out mechanism asl u ,affect/edf b 1. tion of the trip-bail lotti-Th thus be automatically releuas movement under` the powei by movement of the clutohzievernt position, and a breaking-f t tor parts and the drawn impl dent to a continuance of th strain, avoided. Y, f

Vhile the foregoing isaahef of my invention, l desire ifl that I do not limit mysel l ture shown and rdescribed a's that the same may be-qvariou Without ydeparting fromfgthe ispi invention.

lVhat is claimed is i l.. The combination with a trtfo Vhavin a clutch operating leverandgtljieghitoh of implement drawn bythegtractoly-Of'neims actuated by a.y tilting movement ofgtheff-tracfi tor, with relation to theah Ch, operating to i move the lever to releaseapo"sition.,s-izf 2. The combination with agtracm ,having a clutch operating lever1and-the;hitolrtof'ali implement drawn by thetmcto Q Ineens, actuated by a tilting movement the tracmove the lever to release .plosition, andmeagns' actuated by an overloadgfpirllionthe'fl h'l operating to release the clutch-z '3. The combination withaftractorzhaving; i clutch operating mechanism, of; means mov-. 5 100 able by a backward tilting movementafoffthe tractor operating to.y actuat said .meelianisni' torelease the clutch. vi if f e. The combination with a tractorliaving clutch operating mechanism, of means mo-v- 105 able by a backward tilting movement of the tractor operating to actuate said mechanism to release the clutch, and means operable to free said mechanism fromthe inuence of said means without iirst restoring the latter to normal position. y

5. rEhe combination with a tractor having clutch operatingmechanism, of two independently operable means adapted to actuatc said mechanism to move the clutch to release position, one of said means being inluenced by a backward tilt of the tractor, and the other by an overload pull of the tractor.

6. The combination with a tractor having clutch operating mechanism, of two independently operable means adapted to actuate said mechanism to move the clutch to release position, one of said means being influenced by a backward tilt of the tractor, and the other by an overload pull of the tractor, and means operative to free said mechanism from the actuating means without first restoring the latter to normal position.

7 The combination `with a tractor having a clutch lever and the hitch beam of a drawn implement, of a member movable by Contact with the hitch beam upon an excessive back ward tilt of the tractor, and clutch operating means connected with and actuated by said member to release the clutch.

8. The combination with a tractor having a clutch lever and the hitch beam of a drawn implement, of a throw-out for the clutch lever comprising a hinged element mounted on theV tractor with its lfree end normally overreaching the hitch beam, and connections between sad element and the clutch lever adapted to operate said lever to release position upon movement of said element through contact with the hitch beam.

9. The combination with atractor having a clutch lever and the hitch beam of a drawn implement, of a trip member influenced by the hitch beam upon an excessive backward tilt ot the tractor, an angle lever, a connection between the trip member and said lever, a shiift-bar, an arm carried by the clutch lever having pivotal connection with the shift-bar, a radius link pivotally connected Y with the shift-bar anda support, and a drag link pivotally connected with the shift-bar and the angle lever.

l0. The combination with a tractor having a clutch lever and the hitch beam of a drawn implement, of a trip member carried by the tractor and adapted to be actuated through contact with said hitch beam, an angle lever operatively connected with the trip member, a shift-bar, an arm carried by the clutch lever having a pivotal and sliding connection with the shift-bar, a radius rod pivot ally'comiected with said shift-bar and with a limited rotative element, a drag link pivotl nza-vence with respect to said shift-bar, and means operative to move the shiftbar and radius rod into substantial alinement, whereb an endwise movement is impartedy to the s ift-` bar and locking the same against retraction. l2. A clutch lever throw-outfor tractors, comprising a shift-bar, an arm carried b said lever having a pivotal and limited 4sli ing connectionwith one end of said shiftbar, a rocker element, a radius rod terminally and pivotally connected with the opposite end of the shift-bar and the rocker element, a lever adapted for manually rock- 4ing said element, a contractive spring terminally connected with the shift-bar and said rocker element, and tripping means automatically operated to depressthe shift-bar and radius rod into substantial alinement to impart endwise movement to the shift-bar and hold thesame against retractiomsaid lever being operative to move the rocker element below the center of its axis 'for indeendent movement, whereby the parts will e released for return movement under the influence of the spring without,v releasing the tripping means.'

In testimon whereof I aiiix m si ature. l/DWARD M. 

